On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, New England Conservatory hosts Sound & Music in the Muslim World—a free one-day conference in Brown Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT, followed by an evening concert from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The program is open to the public in person, with virtual/streaming options noted on NEC’s event page and Eventbrite. Register ahead on Eventbrite (search the event title or use the link from the organizer’s site); as of October 10, 2026, tickets list at $0.
What the day covers
NEC’s listing and the companion site soundandmusicinthemuslimworld.com frame four conference themes: the significance of sound in Muslim contexts; oral tradition and memorization; music education in Muslim communities; and understanding Islam through its art. The evening concert closes the day with three ensembles—Imagination, Encounters, and Celebration—performing musical traditions from across the Muslim world. Exact session times, room logistics and the streaming link are not published as a minute-by-minute public agenda on the pages we checked; expect updates closer to the date on Eventbrite or the official sites.
Who is speaking—and the local Boston ties
Guest speakers named on NEC’s page include Oludamini Ogunnaike (University of Virginia professor focused on West African Sufism and intellectual traditions), Asad Ali Jafri (DJ and Listening While Muslim co-producer), Ani Zonneveld (songwriter; Muslims for Progressive Values founder), Mehmet Ali Sanlikol (NEC faculty and Director of the Intercultural Institute; Ottoman/Turkish music), Sami Abu Shumays (Arab violinist and maqam educator; co-author of Inside Arabic Music), Eden Mac-Adam Somer (Chair of NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts department), Samir LanGus (Gnawa musician from Morocco), Hasan Imam Hamdani (NEC DMA student; organizer; Presser Graduate Award; Imam Collective), Jawwad Noor (Boston-area sitar; LearnQuest Academy of Music in Waltham; Boston University professor), and Aisha Imam (founder of the Reed Society for Sacred Arts). Eventbrite also lists Constance Cook; her public bio on the event site is thinner than the others, so treat that name as a listing detail until the organizers publish more. For Mass Halal readers, the local anchors are Sanlikol and Mac-Adam Somer at NEC, and Noor’s Waltham/BU base—plus Hamdani’s role developing the conference as an NEC doctoral student.
How it came together
According to NEC and the event site, the day is made possible by The Presser Foundation’s Graduate Student Award, with support from New England Conservatory, its Intercultural Institute, and the Reed Society for Sacred Arts. Hamdani’s organizer profile on the site describes Presser recognition, work with Imam Collective, and doctoral research at NEC on sound, music and Islamic theological concepts. If you care about music education for Muslim kids in Massachusetts more broadly, our parent’s guide to full-time Islamic schools is a separate practical resource: https://masshalal.com/articles/06e743b7-2bf2-4877-8c52-1b3758919b26
Where to go, and how to get there
Brown Hall is on the NEC campus. NEC’s official event page lists 290 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 as the campus address; Eventbrite lists 30 Gainsborough St—an adjacent NEC campus building. Use 290 Huntington Ave as your primary pin for Brown Hall, and allow a few extra minutes to find the correct entrance once you are on campus. On transit, the Green Line E to Symphony or Northeastern is the usual approach along Huntington Avenue; the Orange Line is nearby at Massachusetts Avenue or Ruggles depending on your route. Weekday mid-morning and evening schedules can differ, and construction or game-day traffic on Huntington can slow buses and rideshares—check live MBTA and map apps the morning of October 27 rather than relying on a static tip. Campus parking in the Symphony/Northeastern corridor is limited and often paid or permit-restricted; if you drive, budget for a garage or street meter and a short walk, or plan a rideshare drop-off on Huntington or Gainsborough.
Before you go
Register on Eventbrite for free admission (in person and virtual options are both advertised; confirm which ticket type you need). Save your confirmation, note the 9:30 a.m. conference start and 6:00 p.m. concert, and recheck NEC’s page or Eventbrite for any day-of streaming URL, door times or accessibility notes. Primary sources: https://necmusic.edu/events/sound-music-in-the-muslim-world/, https://soundandmusicinthemuslimworld.com, and the Eventbrite listing. For more October arts and culture nearby, see our Boston Palestine Film Festival guide: https://masshalal.com/articles/1f4dfe81-a6fb-4807-81df-d0edd6c918e7. If your masjid, MSA or arts group is hosting a concert, lecture or festival we have not covered yet, tip us at https://masshalal.com/contact and we will check it for the Journal and the Events calendar.